Alright, another round in the books after today so without any delay I’m going to jump into the Avery White Rascal, a beer that I praised for its incredible balance. Today I want to talk about exactly how the balance of the Rascal makes it one of the truly elite brews in the tournament. With a delicious and well-blended balance, this beer can be had at any time, by any person. The fact that it is a white ale means that the flavors are going to be a little lighter and held together by a bubbly carbonation, think a high-class champagne. Yet this doesn’t run away with the lightness because of the doughy yeast flavor that brings it down to earth. This brew has quite a few tricks up its sleeve, enough to keep the seasoned drinker interested without getting them loaded. This brew is the epitome of a beer that is hand-crafted for balance without sacrificing flavor and I think you need to drink today’s match at home to experience these great flavors.

We’ve listed the accolades of this competitor before, and a convincing sweep through the last round certainly adds to the resume of the Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold. I tried to say this last time and fumbled through my words but it is nice to see a Dortmunder in this tournament because it is the kind of beer that the brewer has to want to make. You can slap an IPA or a Porter or a Lite label on something and jam your beer into a category but to make a Dortmunder, you have to want to. That dedication to the craft really comes through in the flavors of this brew and makes up, I think, for its inability to accent food well. Where I think this beer shines greatly is for newcomers as this beer will have stronger flavors but a similar texture and mouthfeel to a lite beer that many newer drinkers are used to. That is not a knock, as I’m referring only to the carbonation versus some of the stickier or sour beers that are out there. Once the drinker gets past the carbonated mouthfeel an incredible world of flavors await them and they will be glad they took advantage of this gateway brew. The best advice I can give is drink today’s match if possible, and check back at 4:30 because this one will come down to the wire!

UPDATE: Click Here for Match Results!